From the press release: This deluxe box set is focused on the third tour of 1977. Elvis’ live performances in 1977 are often criticized and not without a reason. But Elvis was still offering his fans an enjoying time, the magic of seeing Elvis in person probably exceeded the fact he often delivered a standard and sometimes even mediocre performance.
The reactions of the spectators are very telling. They scream, shout and get wild for their hero. While listening to the recordings of these shows you cannot draw any other conclusion than that the shows were below par. But the charisma of Elvis was enormous, which probably made this unnoticed by most of the fans present.
This set mostly contains soundboard & multitrack recordings but also contains two rare audience recordings. These high-quality audience recordings of the April 27 and 30 performances deserve a place in this box set. Both being first class audience recordings and remastered from scratch to achieve an optimal listening experience.
This 6-CD set includes a wonderful booklet with many rare and unpublished photos.
CD 1 - 23.04.1977 - University Of Toledo, Centennial Hall, Toledo, Ohio:
O Sole Mio / It’s Now Or Never - Little Sister - Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel - And I Love You So - Fever - Polk Salad Annie - My Way - Introductions - School Days - Hurt - Hound Dog - Can’t Help Falling In Love - Closing Vamp
Bonus Songs - 23.04.1977 (Stereo / Multitrack):
Polk Salad Annie - My Way
Bonus Songs:
Unchained Melody (Overdubbed Master 24.04.1977) - If You Love Me (Let Me Know) (Overdubbed Master 26.04.1977) - Little Darlin’ (Overdubbed Master 24.04.1977)
CD 2 - 24.04.1977 - Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan:
Love Me - If You Love Me (Let Me Know) - You Gave Me A Mountain - Tryin’ To Get To You - O Sole Mio / It’s Now Or Never - Little Sister - Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel - Help Me - My Way - Polk Salad Annie - Hurt - Hound Dog - Unchained Melody - Little Darlin’ - Can’t Help Falling In Love - Closing Vamp
Bonus - 24.04.1977 (Stereo / Multitrack):
Blue Hawaii / Little Sister - Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel - Help Me - Unchained Melody - Little Darlin’
25.04.1977 - Civic Center Saginaw, Michigan:
Heartbreak Hotel - My Way
CD 3 - 26.04.1977 - Wings Stadium, Kalamazoo, Michigan:
Love Me - Fairytale - If You Love Me (Let Me Know) - You Gave Me A Mountain - Jailhouse Rock - O Sole Mio / It’s Now Or Never - Big Boss Man - Heartbreak Hotel - Blue Suede Shoes - And I Love You So - My Way - Hound Dog - Can’t Help Falling In Love - Closing Vamp
Bonus 26.04.1977 (Stereo / Multitrack):
If You Love Me (Let Me Know) - O Sole Mio / It’s Now Or Never
27.04.1977 - Auditorium Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin:
Polk Salad Annie
29.04.1977 - Arena, Duluth, Minnesota:
Bridge Over Troubled Water - Big Boss Man
30.04.1977 - Civic Center, St. Paul, Minnesota:
Hound Dog
01.05.1977 - Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois:
My Way
02.05.1977 - Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois:
Fairytale - My Way
CD 4 - 03.05.1977 - Saginaw Center, Saginaw, Michigan:
That’s All Right - Trouble - I Got A Woman / Amen - Love Me - Happy Birthday / Big Boss Man - Hound Dog - Tryin’ To Get To You - Jailhouse Rock - My Way - Little Sister - Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel - Help Me - O Sole Mio / It’s Now Or Never - Love Me Tender - Why Me Lord - Polk Salad Annie - Mystery Train / Tiger Man - Can’t Help Falling In Love
Bonus Songs - 03.05.1977 (Stereo / Multitrack):
Help Me - Mystery Train / Tiger Man (Different Source) - Can’t Help Falling In Love (Different Source)
CD 5 - 27.04.1977 - Auditorium Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Audience Recorded Concert):
Also Sprach Zarathustra - See See Rider - I Got A Woman / Amen - Love Me - If You Love Me Let Me Know - You Gave Me A Mountain - Jailhouse Rock - O Sole Mio / It’s Now Or Never - Little Sister - Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel - And I Love You So - My Way - Polk Salad Annie - Introductions - Early Morning Rain (John Wilkinson) - What’d I Say (James Burton) - Johnny B. Goode - Drum Solo (Ronnie Tutt) - Bass Solo (Jerry Scheff) - Piano Solo (Tony Brown) - Electric Keyboard Solo (Bobby Ogdin) - School Days - Hurt (With Reprise) - Hound Dog - Can’t Help Falling In Love - Closing Vamp - Elvis Has Left The Building
CD 6 - 30.04.1977 - Civic Center, Centennial Hall, St. Paul, Minnesota (Audience Recorded Concert):
Also Sprach Zarathustra - See See Rider - I Got A Woman / Amen - Rip It Up - Love Me - If You Love Me (Let Me Know) - You Gave Me A Mountain - Jailhouse Rock - It’s Now Or Never - My Way - Hound Dog - My Heavenly Father (Kathy Westmoreland) - Polk Salad Annie - Early Mornin’ Rain (John Wilkinson) - Delta Lady (James Burton) - Drum Solo (Ronnie Tutt) - Bass Solo (Jerry Scheff) - Piano Solo (Tony Brown) - Electric Keyboard Solo (Bobby Ogdin) - Talking With The Audience - The Wonder Of You - Blue Suede Shoes - Hawaiian Wedding Song - Can’t Help Falling In Love - Closing Vamp
It’s The Elvis Sound of the Sixties
From the press release: Petticoat Records is back! This time with a fantastic vinyl album full of early to mid-sixties classics. This high-quality album, includes 18 rare and hard to find alternate versions of these beautiful sixties ballads as well as some great rockers!
This limited edition compilation comes on 180 Gr. Red and blue colored vinyl, housed in a stunning cover.
Side A: (It’s) A Long Lonely Highway – Take 1 / Puppet On A String – Take 10 / In Your Arms – Take 1 / Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers – Take 1 / Are You Lonesome Tonight – Take 5 / What A Wonderful Life – Take 1 / Kiss Me Quick – Take 10 / Home Is Where The Heart Is – Take 7 / Put The Blame On Me – Take 2
Side B: Gonna Get Back Home Somehow – Take 4 / Tender Feeling – New Mix / Slowly But Surely – Take 1 / I Need Somebody To Lean On – Take 5 / Bossa Nova Baby – Take 6 / What’s She Really Like – Take 5 / Anything That’s Part Of You – Take 3 / Little Egypt – Movie Version / Come What May – Take 7
Country Ballads
This set comes housed in a beautiful deluxe 6 panel digi-pack.
Tracks: Just Call Me Lonesome – take 4 / Pieces Of My Life – take 4 - undubbed master, incl. count in / Charro – undubbed master / Loving Arms – string overdub of undubbed master / This Is The Story – backup vocal overdub of undubbed master / Never Again – take 4 / Gentle On My Mind – repaired undubbed master, different mix / Early Morning Rain – 1973 version - take 1 / And I Love You So – take 1, incl. count in / There’s A Honky Tonk Angel – unedited take 1 / Green Green Grass Of Home – take 5 undubbed master / Let’s Forget About The Stars – master take 5 rough mix / If I’m A Fool (FOR Loving You) – take 9 unedited undubbed master / Help Me Make It Through The Night – fs and take 10 / Kentucky Rain – take 10 undubbed master / She Thinks I Still Care 1980 mix no backup vocals / Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain – 1980 mix / Funny How Time Slips Away – 1980 mix / I Really Don’t Want To Know – live June 19 1977.
Silver Screen Treasures
This release features mostly alternate versions from all of Elvis movie sessions from 1962 -1965. Disc 5 features rejected acetates of songs written for Elvis movies, but (most) were never used. A fantastic release with a lot of surprises, in fantastic sound and running order.
Tracks Silver Screen Treasures:
CD 1 - Silver Screen Treasures:
(It Happened At The World’s Fair - Take Me To The Fair (Take 1 - 3) - Beyond The Bend (Take 2) - Happy Ending (Take 8 - Master Take) - Cotton Candy Land (Take 1 - 4) - Happy Ending (Take 6) - They Remind Me Too Much Of You (Take 1) - A World Of Our Own (Master) - Take Me To The Fair (Take 7) - Happy Ending (Take 9 - Master Take - Movie Version) - I’m Falling In Love Tonight (Take 7 & 6) - How Would You Like To Be (Take 3 & 2) - Relax (Take 12 & 13 - Master Take) - One Broken Heart For Sale (Take 1 - Master Take - Movie Version)
Fun In Acapulco:
Fun In Acapulco (Master) - El Toro (Spliced Master) - I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here (Take 15) - The Bullfighter Was A Lady (Take 10) - Vino, Dinero Y Amor (Take 1) - Bossa Nova Baby (Take 2) - Guadalajara (Vocal Overdub - Take 4) - You Can’t Say No In Acapulco (Take 4) - Mexico (Take 7) - Bossa Nova Baby (Extended Master) - Marguerita (Take 7 & 6) - Guadalajara (Vocal Overdub - Take 2) - Vino, Dinero Y Amor (Movie Version) - No Room To Rhumba (Movie Version)
CD 2 - Viva Las Vegas:
Viva Las Vegas (Demo Arrangement - Take 1) - Santa Lucia (Master) - The Lady Loves Me (Take 2) - Night Life (Unedited Take 14 - Master Take) - C’mon Everybody (Record Version - Take 2 & 3) - If You Think I Don’t Need You (Take 2) - I Need Somebody To Lean On (Take 8) - You’re The Boss (Take 3) - Night Life (Take 3) - Do The Vega (Take 7 - No Echo Master Take) - Yellow Rose Of Texas / The Eyes Of Texas (Take 9) - Today Tomorrow & Forever (Take 3 & 4) - What’d I Say (Take 3) - I Need Somebody To Lean On (Movie Version) - Today Tomorrow And Forever (Edited Movie Version) - Viva Las Vegas (Movie Version)
Kissin’ Cousins:
Kissin’ Cousins No. 2 (Edited Master) - Once Is Enough (Master) - Anyone Could Fall In Love With You (Master) - Cathcin’ On Fast (Master) - One Boy Two Little Girls (Master) - Tender Feeling (Master) - Kissin’ Cousins (Hillbilly Vocal Overdub - Take 1 - Master Take) - Smokey Mountain Boy (Movie Version) - There’s Gold In The Mountain (Movie Version) - One Boy Two Little Girls (Movie Version) - Once Is Enough (Movie Version) - Barefoot Ballad (Movie Version) - Kissin’ Cousins (Movie Version
CD 3 - Roustabout:
Hard Knocks (Movie Version - Vocal Overdub - Take 4 - Master Take) - Roustabout (Vocal Overdub - Take 13) - I’m A Roustabout (Take 10 - Stereo Version) - Carny Town (Master) - It’s A Wonderful World (Master) - Poison Ivy League (Movie Version) - Little Egypt (Take 21 - Master Take) - One Track Heart (Master) - Roustabout (Vocal Overdub - Take 6) - Big Love Big Heartache (Movie Version) - It’s Carnival Time (Movie Version - Take12) - Wheels On My Heels (Movie Version) - There’s A Brand New Day On The Horizon (Overdubbed Movie Edit) - Roustabout (Movie Version) - Little Egypt (Movie Version)
Girl Happy:
Girl Happy (Take 4) - I’ve Got To Find My Baby (Edited Master) - Puppet On A String (Take 7) - Do The Clam (Master) - Wolf Call (Edited Master) - Do Not Disturb (Take 35) - Spring Fever (Take 1 - 4) - Puppet On A String (Take 10) - Starting Tonight (Master) - Cross My Heart And Hope To Die (Take 8 & 6) - The Meanest Girl In Town (Take 4 - 6) - Puppet On A String (Take 11 - Master Take) - Fort Lauderdale Chamber Of Commerce (Movie Version) - Spring Fever (Composite Movie Master) - Girl Happy (Movie Version) - Wolf Call (Movie Version)
Tickle Me:
Dirty, Dirty Feeling (Take 1) - Slowly But Surely (Take 1) - I’m Yours (Composite Master) - Night Rider (Take 1) - It Feels So Right (Movie Version)
CD 4 - Tickle Me:
Long Lonely Highway (Movie Version) - Put The Blame On Me (Movie Version) - (Such An) Easy Question (Movie Version)
Harum Scarum:
Hey Little Girl (Take 4 & 5 - Master Take) - Shake That Tambourine (Take 14 - 16) - Wisdom Of The Ages (Take 1 & 2) - Golden Coins (Take 1,2 & 4) - So Close, Yet So Far (Take 2 & 3) - My Desert Serenade (Take 1 & 10) - Wisdom Of The Ages (Take 4) - Animal Instinct (Take 3 & 4) - Kismet (Take 1 - 5 - Master Take) - So Close, Yet So Far (Take 4) - Harem Holiday (Take 2) - Mirage (Vocal Overdub Spliced Master) - Go East Young Man (Vocal Overdub Spliced Master)
Frankie & Johnny:
Frankie & Johnny (Master) - What Every Woman Lives For (Master) - Down By The Riverside (When The Saints Go Marchin’ In (Master) - Beginner’s Luck (Master With Extra Intro) - Please Don’t Stop Loving Me (Take 9) - Petunia, The Gardener’s Daughter (Take 1) - Look Out Broadway (Take 9) - Everybody Come Aboard (Take 4 & 5) - Shout It Out (Take 1) - Chesay (Take 4) - Come Along (Movie Version) - Hard Luck (Movie Version)
When a new Elvis movie was created, Colonel Parker used to ask several songwriters to write songs for the movie. The Colonel gave them a title or a description of the scene and the songwriters understood what kind of a song the he needed.
These so called ‘demos’ were recorded (at expenses of the songwriters) on an acetate disc and send to the Colonel for approval. Obviously there was competition between the different songwriters as the songs were either recorded by Elvis or … rejected.
The actual demos are unique. Usually only one or two acetates made and, due to the material (wax on a metal plate), they were very fragile and could only be played a few times.
This CD contains newly discovered demo recordings, all recorded and written for Elvis movies.
Some were not used for obvious reasons, simply because they were not good enough, and some you can actually imagine Elvis singing. ‘Fun in Acapulco’ is almost a copy of the demo, except for some lyrics that were changed during the recording session.
Most of these acetates come from the Dolores Fuller collection. Most have her lyrics with music composed by Ben Weissman. Exceptions are ‘Fun in Acapulco’ (Ben Weisman / Sid Wayne), ‘Night Life’ (Giant / Baume / Kaye), ‘I Need Somebody To Lean on’ (Pomus / Shuman) and ‘Love On The Rocks (Tepper / Bennett).
Some of these songs might turn out to be completely different then you expect. Sit back and enjoy!
CD 5 - The Demo Acetates - Fun In Acapulco:
Fun In The Sun - Fun In Acapulco - Bottoms Up - Make My Marguerita
Viva Las Vegas:
Night Life - I Need Somebody To Lean On - Don’t Fool A Fool In Love - Sweet Dreams Baby
Kissin’ Cousins:
Kissin Cousins No. 3
Roustabout:
Hard Knocks - You Can’t Hate Me For That
Harum Scarum:
Wisdom Of The Ages - A Slave To Your Kiss
Frankie & Johnny:
Mississippi Sue - Better Believe It Baby - My Gypsy Heart- My Bittersweet- You’re For Me
Paradise Hawaiian Style:
Kamehemea
Spinout:
Classy Chassy - You Can’t Win ‘Em All - Messed Up World
Double Trouble:
Just U Wait And See - Please Stay Out Of My Dreams
Easy Come Easy Go:
Easy Come Easy Go - Love On The Rocks
Viva Las Vegas (Bonus):
This Way To Paradise
(Source: FECC)